I feel very fortunate to be in a position that I can give back all the help and guidance that friends and co-workers gave me when I was starting out my career. And I’ve been doing it for years now, replying all the e-mails, messages, pm’s, portfolio reviews, critiques, opinions about schools, companies, and so on.

But the amount of messages I’m getting now got to a point that it’s hard to reply all of them, unfortunately.

Please don’t feel sad or mad if I don’t reply/message you back. I’d love to have enough time to chat, give critiques, and guidance. But I don’t.

Here we have general questions and answers, and also a few guidelines and tips to make sure you’re on the right path. I hope this helps. See you around!

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Could you please review my portfolio and give critiques ?

Unfortunately no. But please visit the Courses section of my website. You might find something for you there

Hi, I’m thinking about studying in this “specific” school. What do you think about it ?

There’s plenty of good options out there. My advice is to carefully analyse the past terms. Make sure there’s quality on it. Also, check the teacher’s portfolio and assure that it matches your goal/style.

As I like to say, the most important thing is to give your 100%, no matter what you’re doing, or studying. You don’t necessary need to spend thousands of Dollars. In fact, you need to spend thousand of hours instead

How long does it take to land a job in a AAA Studio ?

It takes a LOT of time and effort. I like to do a comparison with a doctor. How long does it take to become a Senior Doctor and start doing complex surgeries ? I bet it take a good amount of years, plus LOTS of hard study. So, relax and stick to the plan. Make sure you’re doing everything you can, and one day it will pay off. Think about that friend of yours that became an Attorney, or the other one that is trying to be a Senior Engineer. Look at their steps. It’s usually easier to see in other disciplines what we have to do on ours. We tend to find that what we do is “different and special”. It’s not. Art in general is no different. It takes time, effort and a lots of study….. Keep it up!

What is your favorite anatomy book ?

I have a huge selection of anatomy books on my shelf, but the Anatomy for the Artist, by Sarah Simblet is a good start.

My main package is Maya. I use Zbrush for sculpting, Substance Painter for texturing, Marmoset Toolbag for realtime rendering. I also have proficiency in different software for specific tasks like Marvelous Designer, Photoshop, Mudbox and many more. Technology is always changing and there’s always some cool stuff coming out. I like to try them out staying up to date.

Are you offering any sort of mentorship or private classes ?

Please refer to this page here – I always keep this updated with the latest news.

What kind of clay/material you use/prefer ?

I usually work with Monster Clay, which is an oil-based clay that can be heated on the microwave to soften it up. I also like working with super sculpey because it allows me to bake it and have a solid piece to paint, without the hassle of molding and casting. For large scale pieces, I used to work with water clay. I paint with an Iwata Hp-Cs Airbrush, Fw Acrylic inks diluted in alcohol.

Should I apply for the “X” studio ? Should I build a portfolio specific for this “X” studio ? How can I know I’m ready to apply ? If I get denied, should I stop applying ?

You should be able to look at your portfolio and see if you’re ready or you need to step up your game. Generally speaking, if you can’t tell, you are not ready yet.

My advice is to find the people that are already employed and study their portfolio. It will give you a better idea of what to do and what level you should be for that position.

My friend Jack Coleman has also written a nice article about it – HERE

Now, if you feel like you’re ready, you should definitely apply. If you are not a good fit now, don’t worry, you’ll land it sooner or later. The most important thing is to keep studying and developing your skills, building a better portfolio.

I follow you on social media and I see that you are busy at work but still find time to do personal work, sports, and have fun with your family and friends. How do you manage your time to stay active like that ? Do you have any tips ?

To be honest, it all comes down to time management and priorities. I rarely watch tv, I don’t play a lot of games ( I usually play a bit after they come out ), I force myself to not open any social media more than once a day, I wake up early and get stuff done before going to work, I hit the gym every lunch break, I get stuff done at night after work, I schedule my personal work and manage it as I do with my professional work, with tasks and goals, my family always come first, I’m blessed to have a wife that supports me and is also an artist, so we enjoy doing art at the same time, and the list keep going. We all know the things that are a “waste of time”, so it’s up to us to choose how we spend it.

You can always find time to do the stuff you want. Prioritize your goals, and I’m sure you’ll make up some time for it!

Do you have any guidelines for studying anatomy ? Where and how should I start ?

What are your favorite sculptors and artists? Where do you find inspiration?

I’m a professional from a different field and I want to migrate and work with videogames. How can I do that?

Do you recommend going to University/College or taking specialized courses instead ?

if you’re reading it right now, don’t worry. I’m updating this page these days, and adding questions and answers. Come back another time for the completed FAQ